Sash-balance



(N0 Mbdel.)

C.- H. OOUMPAUGH.

SASH BALANCE.

Patented May 11, 1897.

. Inventor;

Attorney- Witnesses UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

CHARLES H. OOUMPAUGH, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SASH-BALANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 582,305, dated May 11,1897. Application fil d December 1, 1896. Serial No. 614,142. (Nomodel.)

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Be it known that I, CHARLES H. OCUM- PAUGH, of Rochester, in the countyof Monroe and State of New York, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Sash- Balances; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the drawings accompanying this application.

Spring sash-balances are made in a great number of sizes to adapt themto different weights of sashes.

The object of my invention is to reduce the number of sizes by thespecial construction of the balance, as hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the drawings, Figure is a side elevation of my improved balance. Fig.2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is across-section in line as a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewshowing a duplex form of the balance. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showinga modification. Fig. 6 is a side elevation showing another modification.

In my invention I use a right-angled case with a plurality of springwinding-drums therein, the tapes or cordsof which are united at thebottom and connected with the sash, so that each drum acts independentlyand gives its whole force to raise the sash independently of the otherdrum or drums. I

A indicates the case, which is usually made in a single piece of castmetal, and consists of the face-plate a and two side flanges b b. In theface-plate is made a single slot 0 for the passage of the tapes, or, ifdesired, a second slot may be made for the passage of the upper tape.This casing'is made of greater length than ordinary cases of the kind.

B B .are two or more winding-drums pivoted in this case, as shown in thedrawings,

and operated by the usual coil-springs (Z (Z, attached at one end to thestationary rivets ff and at the other end to the periphery of the drums.

O C are the tapes or cords winding on the drums and serving to raise thesash. The

lower ends of these tapes pass through the slot 0 and are connected bythe ordinary clip g, having a loop h, that attaches at the edge of thesash.

Fig. 4. shows a duplex form in which the casing is made wider and twosets of'springdrums are used resting side by side.

The balance shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 is adapted to be attached at theside of the window-casing in the runway in which the sash rests.

Fig. 5 shows a balance adapted to be attached at the top of thewindow-casing over the sash, in which condition it lies horizontally,with the winding-drums standing upright, the face-plate being sunken inthe wood and the end next to the corner resting .in a hole in the sideof the window-casing.

In such case a vertical flange k may be used resting against the side ofthe wood and sunken therein, through which flange a screw passeshorizontallyinto the wood to hold the parts in place. The opposite endof the balance is secured by a screw passing up vertically into thewood. The winding tapes pass down vertically through the case to connectwith the sash, and the tape of the farthest drum extends horizontallyover the tape of the nearest drum and the two roll in contact. Fig. 6shows a case of right-angled form with spring-drum attached to eachbranch. In such case the vertical part fits the side of thewindow-casing and the horizontal part the top of the same. The tapes ofall the drums pass out together through the slot at the bottom of thecase. form where great power is required.

Heretofore a single balance has been used with a given number ofdifferent weights of sashes, and succeeding numbers of balances havebeen used withsucceeding grades of weights of sashes. Sash and likestructures, including stall and shop fronts,varyin weight from a fewpounds to six hundred or more;

Thisis a convenient but a spring-balance has a range of about fourpoundsonly. Dealers therefore are compelled to keep in stock very many gradesof springs to meet the needs of the public and without any hope ofcommensurate sales. This adds to the final cost of the article. Thepresent improvement will when introduced obviate this and other evilsnow everywhere existing in the trade.

The necessity of using very heavy springs to balance heavy sashor frontsinvolves many objectionable features. Heretofore it has frequentlyhappened in connection with heavy sashes that the balance wasnecessarily made so wide as not to fit in the runway, requiring theremoval of extra wood, and in many cases the depth of the balance isgreater than the depth of the mortise in the wood, causing the rollersto strike the masonry before the face-plate is seated. This is avoidedin my invention, as the balance need never with the heaviest sashesexceed the ordinary depth. By the construction above set forth thebalance can also be made narrow to fit any runway and still have greatpower by reason of the plurality of winding-drums employed.

By the improvement it is possible that illcreasedspring-power can beobtained without varying the width or depth of the case, so that casesof a particular or standard width or depth have a much wider range ofuse and capacity without involving the necessity of widening ordeepening the case receiving opening, thereby lessening the cost andlabor of putting them on.

With balances as now made it is necessary in case of very heavy sash tomake the sash unnecessarily thick merely to provide for a case andbalancespring wide enough to perform the required work. The improvementprovides for the strongest balance required without widening theface-plate of the case.

It will be noticed that each springdrum is independent in its action andis unhampered by the others. Hence any inequality in one is not impartedto the others, but both exert their force to their fullest extent inraising the sash. By uniting the ends of the winding tapes at the bottomthey are kept in alinement and move in unison, and in stretching one theother is stretched at the same time.

The inertia of a sash and of several springs arranged and operating asherein specified can be more easily overcome than in the case of a sashof the same weight balanced by a single spring, the latter offering muchmore resistance. The sash is therefore more easily started when balancedaccording to the present improvement.

Springs made comparatively light and thin, as by this improvement, areless liable to break and are every way more durable than ordinarysash-balance springs.

Each of the spring-drums is inclosed 011 the back side by a hood m,consisting of a side plate and a rim, which extends across to meet therim of the spring-drum, as shown in Fig.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

In a sash-balance, the combination of a casing consisting of aface-plate and two side flanges, a plurality of spring-drums pivotedwithin said casing and a separate winding strap or cord extending fromeach drum through the face-plate and devices for connecting both strapsto the sash at a common point, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CHARLES II. OGUMPAUGH.

Witnesses:

CHAS. R. Oseoon, GEORGE A. GILLETTE.

